Chapter 492

Fang Hong could not empathize with others' tragic fates, so he merely listened, without truly feeling their pain.

There were too many pitiful, miserable people in this world; Zou Zhaolong had succeeded and even married a Hong Kong lady—he was already doing better than most.

And there were many more who had not succeeded and still lived the hardest lives.

There was no way to sympathize with them all, no way to truly empathize.

Liu Tianxian had never known hardship, had never seen the suffering of the lower classes, so when she heard such tragic stories, she couldn't help but be moved.

No way, she was just kind-hearted! The Four Great Constables premiered as scheduled, with its first-day box office at 36.48 million, about five million more than in his past life.

The next day it continued to soar, reaching 42.78 million, about six million more than in his past life.

This box office performance was far better than the previous The Xiu Chun Dao, which had only made twenty to thirty million.

There was no other reason—Liu Tianxian was now worth this much, had this audience base, and some people had developed a habit of watching her films.

Any film she participated in could carry a portion of the box office—this was the trust audiences had gradually built in her through years of film after film.

They thought this The Four Great Constables 3 wouldn't be a flop.

Unexpectedly, this movie was still feeding the audience garbage—and it had dumped a huge pile.

"The opening featured an extremely sentimental and overdone musical recap of previous plotlines, then Deng Chao and Liu Tianxian sat like statues, delivering utterly stupid lines with grotesquely exaggerated facial expressions—I already regretted spending money to watch this finale."

"The first two films already made me sick to my stomach, but what the hell was wrong with me for watching this bizarre piece?"

"Came for Liu Tianxian, thought she'd turned over a new leaf—turns out it was rotten beyond redemption."

"This movie made me nauseous!"

"Is this the Golden Rooster Best Actress? Did the Principal buy her that award? Her face, caked in powder, made me physically wince every time she shared a scene with others."

"How did they have the nerve to make a sequel of this incoherent mess?"

The Four Great Constables 3 was met with a flood of negative reviews, dragging Liu Tianxian into endless criticism as well.

If a movie is bad, even if the actor performs well, it still harms the actor—because the overall viewing experience drops several levels.

If a movie is good, even if the actor performs poorly, the actor still benefits—because the overall viewing experience rises several levels.

Even China News Service couldn't help but criticize: "Do they replace martial arts with flash effects?" But there were also positive reviews and advice; one reviewer commented on Liu Tianxian's performance: "Liu Tianxian's acting had no jarring moments—she captured subtle details well; even under this makeup, she conveyed a woman's beauty through the flicker of her eyes—truly impressive."

Acting is subjective—some say it's good, others say it's bad.

Others said: "Liu Tianxian, just stick with the Principal—he's the only one who can truly control film quality; everyone else just wants to drain you."

"Exactly—only now do I realize the Principal truly loves her."

"."

On the third day, The Four Great Constables 3's box office dipped slightly but still reached 34.74 million—meaning it had surpassed one hundred million in three days.

For a movie with such terrible reviews, this was quite impressive.

It proved Liu Tianxian still had strong box office pull.

Online criticism of this movie was overwhelming; for some reason—perhaps the light-sensitive glass heart of Douban—it shut down all short reviews and even deleted every single one.

The short review section now showed a clean zero.

This kind of thing could be managed with money—it wasn't particularly hard to pull off.

It was Tencent's, after all—understandable.

At home, Liu Tianxian sat cross-legged on the carpet, a laptop before her, scrolling through online reviews of her film—each one made her lips curl higher.

"What's so interesting? You still haven't gotten used to it!" Fang Hong stood beside her and covered the laptop.

"How could I ever get used to it? I just won Best Actress, and now people are accusing me of buying it—it's devastating." Liu Tianxian looked up at him, chin raised.

"It's just this last one—lie low for a while, get through it, and that's it." Fang Hong shrugged.

"I should've listened to you from the start—I shouldn't have taken this movie." Liu Tianxian sighed, leaning back against the sofa arm.

"You're stubborn as hell—nine oxen couldn't pull you back once you dug in." Fang Hong scolded her.

Liu Tianxian kicked him—she was just talking, and now he was lecturing her?

"Xixi, tomorrow's your birthday—where are you planning to celebrate?" Liu Xiaoli walked in and called out.

"I'll celebrate at home—I invited Shuchang and Liangying over." Liu Tianxian replied.

"Alright, I'll make the arrangements." Liu Xiaoli said and left.

Clean up the house—prepare for guests tomorrow.

Liu Tianxian looked up at Fang Hong, offering a seductive smile, and beckoned him with a finger.

"What are you up to?" Fang Hong tensed.

"Come here." Liu Tianxian tugged his pant leg, signaling him to crouch down.

Fang Hong had no choice but to crouch beside her.

Liu Tianxian wrapped an arm around his shoulder, grinning: "Where's my gift? Show me."

"What gift?" Fang Hong didn't understand.

"It's my birthday tomorrow—you didn't buy me a gift?" Liu Tianxian slapped him.

"Of course I bought one—if I hadn't, would you let me live in peace?" Fang Hong said.

Liu Tianxian gave him a look that said, "I knew it," then eyed him suspiciously: "You didn't buy me flowers or bubble tea again, did you?"

This man hadn't given her a single valuable gift in years—only ordinary, trivial things.

"No, this time is different." Fang Hong shook his head.

That piqued Liu Tianxian's interest—she tightened her grip on his shoulder, smiling: "Tell me, what is it?" "I can't tell you ahead of time," Fang Hong refused—revealing it now would ruin the surprise.

"Just whisper it to me—I won't tell anyone," Liu Tianxian whispered conspiratorially.

"You think I'm stupid?" Fang Hong didn't believe her for a second—"won't tell anyone"? This wasn't a gift for someone else.

"I'm just so curious—what did you get me? Just tell me!" Liu Tianxian put on a pitiful, pleading expression.

She was dying to know what this man had gotten her. "No. Today isn't your birthday—why the rush?" Fang Hong refused, standing up. "Stay home. I have something to do."

"Hey, where are you going?" Liu Tianxian called out.

"To work, hauling bricks," Fang Hong replied.

"Pfft, all you ever think about is going to work," Liu Tianxian muttered.

Keep flipping through the notebook and check the online reviews!

Fang Hong had just stepped out when Liu Xiaoli called out to him in the courtyard: "Xiao Fang, leaving already?"

Check the one-and-only correct version!

"Yes, Mom," Fang Hong walked over.

Seeing many white and black kittens gathered around Liu Xiaoli, all plump, he asked: "Mom, are all these cats yours?"

"Yes, some were strays—I saw how pitiful they looked, so I brought them home," Liu Xiaoli said, feeding them cat food in her hands.

The cats underfoot weren't shy at all, meowing as they ate the food.

"I thought these were Xixi's cats," Fang Hong said.

"She's too busy even for herself—how could she have time for cats?" Liu Xiaoli added: "Look at her when she comes home—either she's lying down or reading with leisurely elegance."

"That's true," Fang Hong agreed.

Every time he came to Liu Tianxian's house, he never saw Liu Tianxian caring for the cats—only petting them, hugging them, playing with them.

Clearly, Liu Xiaoli was not only beautiful but kind-hearted too. "Would your mom want one? Should I bring one over to your place?" Liu Xiaoli offered warmly.

"You'd have to ask her—but I already have a big black dog at home; I'm sure they'd fight if I brought one over," Fang Hong chuckled.

"Hehe, I'll ask your mom someday—if she wants one, I'll bring it over," Liu Xiaoli smiled gently.

"Then I'll let you get back to your work, Mom. I'm off," Fang Hong said.

"Hey, wait up."

Liu Xiaoli waved him back, leaned close, and whispered: "Aren't you due to buy Xixi some gold or silver jewelry?"

For marriage, these things must be bought in advance.

"I bought her a diamond ring—but don't tell her yet. Tomorrow, I want to surprise her," Fang Hong didn't hide anything from Liu Xiaoli; matters were handled according to the person.

Liu Xiaoli's early warning came from genuine concern for him.

"Alright, as long as you've planned it," Liu Xiaoli nodded, knowing this was their private thing.

She didn't know how expensive Fang Hong's diamond ring was—if she did, she'd be stunned.

This time, Fang Hong was going to pick up the Pink Star.

The "Pink Star" was purchased for seventy million U. S. dollars from De Beers. (Earlier research was wrong—Chow Tai Fook didn't acquire this diamond until 2017.) De Beers is a South African diamond monopoly with global sales channels, so Hong Kong has access too.

Seventy million U. S. dollars equals 490 million RMB; the tax, at 5%, or 3.5 million U. S. dollars, was Fang Hong's responsibility.

The diamond was too valuable—a flawless vivid pink diamond, extremely large—so the seller wouldn't cover tax; Fang Hong had to pay it himself.

In other words, Fang Hong spent at least 73.5 million U. S. dollars just to acquire the "Pink Star," not counting shipping, security, and other fees.

Because it was so valuable, it required top-tier security to escort it, flown via private jet.

If not, losing it would mean catastrophic losses—tens of millions, even hundreds of millions—it was no joke; Fang Hong had saved for years to afford it.

After arrival, it was handed to Confini for processing, since it was a rough diamond and needed engraving to make the gift romantic.

But due to time constraints, no custom cut or design was made—only the three characters "Liu Yifei" were engraved.

If a custom design had been made, the earliest completion would've taken fifteen days—too late. Liu Tianxian could decide later how to have it recut.

Fang Hong, accompanied by a staff member from a diamond appraisal institution, arrived at a luxurious, high-end office to wait.

Soon, two staff members in neat suits and white gloves appeared, carrying a tray covered with velvet cloth.

They placed the tray on the table and lifted the velvet cloth—there before them lay a vivid pink diamond, dazzlingly bright.

It was also large—about sixty grams, the size of an egg, three times bigger than a pigeon's egg.

"Mr. Fang, this is your diamond," one staff member gestured, signaling delivery.

The two stood to the side, hands clasped behind their backs, looking perfectly formal.

Fang Hong said nothing; the diamond appraiser put on white gloves, stepped forward, and carefully picked up the pink diamond to begin appraisal.

The methods included spectral analysis, thermal conductivity testing, and inspection with a magnifying glass.

They dared not be careless—this was worth hundreds of millions; if mistaken and swapped, they'd be held liable and forced to pay. Who could afford that?

Quickly, the appraiser told Fang Hong: "Mr. Fang, it's genuine—no mistake."

Only then did Fang Hong pick up the "Pink Star" and examine it closely—its interior glowed pure pink, flawless, like the purest star, shining with enchanting light.

The inner surface was engraved with the three characters "Liu Yifei"—perfect.

Liu Tianxian would surely be moved to tears when she saw it! "Mr. Fang, may we wrap it for you?" one staff member politely asked.

"No need," Fang Hong simply wrapped it in the velvet cloth and slipped it into his pocket.

(End of chapter)